It’s likely that all of us, to some extent, have experienced an increase in worry, fear, and anxiety due to the current health crisis related to the Covid-19 pandemic sweeping across the world. That’s not all there has been an increase in, though, as the sales of weed and other related products in many places has skyrocketed.
According to reports on Statista, there was a major increase in recreational cannabis sales of about 109%, particularly in California, Washington, and Colorado. Those figures were taken just before lockdown measures were put into place. However, as many stores have been allowed to stay open in some way, the sales figures have not slowed down during the lockdown period.
This is surprising, not least of all because the coronavirus affects the respiratory system. The continued increase in sales of CBD, medical marijuana and other items sold in vape shops and similar stores has a lot to do with the increase in stress and anxiety we noted at the outset, as well as the issue of insomnia may are dealing with in these challenging times. Even if people are not sleepless, anxious, or scared, they are just straight-up bored.
Is it really that bad, though, smoking it during a pandemic? We look at some facts and offer suggestions for better options.
Weighing Up the Risks – Some Considerations to Make
Smoking cannabis at any time is a risk to your health. However, there are some important considerations and distinctions to make – there is a huge difference between the medical use of cannabis and the recreational use of cannabis. Whereas recreational users obviously take it to get high, those with medical issues, such as cancers, crippling anxiety, and chronic pain use it as a treatment.
It’s also important to understand that it’s not the “getting high” aspect of cannabis use that makes smoking so bad, it’s just the fact you are smoking weed.
What is the Problem with Smoking?
When you smoke weed, whether you light a joint or use a bowl, the resulting combustion causes a cascade of chemicals that can inflame or otherwise irritate your lungs. Over time, this can result in you suffering from chronic bronchitis. While chronic bronchitis is normally a sign of lung cancer, emphysema, or other more serious conditions, studies that have been conducted into cannabis use over long periods have shown that those same risks that apply to tobacco smokers don’t apply to cannabis users.
The same issue comes with oil vape pens, as many combust the materials rather than vaporizing them.
What Are Better Alternatives to Smoking?
Ideally, it is strongly felt that cannabis users should switch to a dry herb vaporizer.The reason why you should use a vaporizer that truly utilizes vaporization is that it warms up the flower at a much lower temperature than the alternative. That means you are not taking any of the dangerous chemicals when the cannabis is in the form of vapor.
You need to be careful, as we noted before, not to use a vape pen, but instead a real vaporizer. So, a model that offers the ability to adjust and regulate the temperature. Ideally, you need to keep it below 400-degrees Fahrenheit, as that is the temperature when combustion occurs.
If you do not have a flower vaporizer and want another great alternative, the next best option you have is edibles. Although they take longer to take effect and are trickier to control dosages, they also do not come with any of the concerns about lung health you may have.